Southborough festival makes goat milking a contest

Perhaps that’s the secret that secured D.A. Hayden as the new champion of Chestnut Hill Farm’s annual goat milking competition Sunday, she said.

Hayden, general manager of the Charles River Valley for the Trustees of Reservations, had not milked a cow - and never a goat before - since she was a kid.

And while rhythm may play a role, getting the task done is a multiple-person job.

“Having a glamorous goat named Marilyn always helps,” Hayden, now the owner of a golden jug trophy, said with a smile.

The six-way contest brought a largely rookie goat milker group together to try their hands during the farm’s third Harvest Festival.

The yearly event features hayrides, a pie eating contest and locally grown food, among a variety of other offerings, with the hope of bringing the community into the farm for an up-close look at its inner workings, according to Hayden.

“We see it as an opportunity for...kids and families to get out on the farm and see it as their community farm,” said Joanna Ballantine, vice president of the western region for the Trustees of Reservations, the nonprofit that owns and operates the farm.

For some, including Ballantine and Hayden, that meant the hands-on milking challenge. The two faced off against each other as well as against three colleagues; state Rep. Carolyn Dykema, D-Holliston; and returning, two-time champion Freddie Gillespie of Southborough.

They took to four-year old goat Marilyn, who was often heavily distracted by the tub of feed hanging just below her mouth as she stood in a wooden milking stall.

Though it was said milking a goat is easier than milking a cow, contestants all said they had little or none - the latter making the majority - experience with the farm chore.

Dykema admitted beforehand she was not able to watch a Youtube video on the subject ahead of time.

“I have a competitive spirit...I’m just going to give it my best,” she said.

Given one minute to squeeze as much milk as they could, contestants were judged by how much they could fill a paper cup.

Some learned early that a few friendly pats on Marilyn helped to ease tensions.

Gillespie said she didn’t have a lot of experience besides her past record, but offered up some advice when asked: get low and find a rhythm.

Hayden, who kept a fast and steady pace, was declared the winner when it became clear two cups would be needed to contain the milk she collected.

Before taking to the milking stall, Dykema told festival attendees that locally grown agriculture is one of the issues she hears about the most at the Statehouse.

She’s heard from her younger constituents who have taken to opening their own farms, she said, calling farming the nation’s oldest profession.

“To be here and be apart of this to see it happening in action, and maybe to introducing some of our future farmers of Massachusetts who might be here today, is really just an exciting thing for me,” she said.

Christopher Gavin can be reached at 508 634-7582 or cgavin@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @c_gavinMDN